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Extreme sensitivity of superconductivity to stoichiometry in Fe1+δSe

T. M. McQueen, Q. Huang, V. Ksenofontov, C. Felser, Q. Xu, H. Zandbergen, Y. S. Hor, J. Allred, A. J. Williams, D. Qu, J. Checkelsky, N. P. Ong, and R. J. Cava
Phys. Rev. B 79, 014522 – Published 29 January 2009
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Abstract

The recently discovered iron arsenide superconductors appear to display a universal set of characteristic features, including proximity to a magnetically ordered state and robustness of the superconductivity in the presence of disorder. Here we show that superconductivity in Fe1+δSe, which can be considered the parent compound of the superconducting arsenide family, is destroyed by very small changes in stoichiometry. Further, we show that nonsuperconducting Fe1+δSe is not magnetically ordered down to 5 K. These results suggest that robust superconductivity and immediate instability against an ordered magnetic state should not be considered as intrinsic characteristics of iron-based superconducting systems.

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  • Received 2 December 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.79.014522

©2009 American Physical Society

Synopsis

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Superconductivity can be sensitive

Published 2 February 2009

Small changes in stoichiometry can destroy superconductivity in FeSe.

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Authors & Affiliations

T. M. McQueen1, Q. Huang2, V. Ksenofontov3, C. Felser3, Q. Xu4, H. Zandbergen4, Y. S. Hor1, J. Allred1, A. J. Williams1, D. Qu5, J. Checkelsky5, N. P. Ong5, and R. J. Cava1

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
  • 2NIST Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA
  • 3Institut für Anorganische Chemie und Analytische Chemie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Staudinger Weg 9, D-55099 Mainz, Germany
  • 4National Centre for HREM, Department of Nanoscience, Delft Institute of Technology, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands
  • 5Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA

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Issue

Vol. 79, Iss. 1 — 1 January 2009

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